Stretcher.



P. WOLAK.

A STRETCHEB.

APPL| cAT|oN FILED Dc.4. m1.

1,275,514. Patented Aug. 13, 191s.

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uruTnn sTATEs PATENT orrron.

PIOTR WOLAK, OF SHELTOIN, CONNECTICUT.

STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters .Patent Patented A110'. 13, 1918.

Application filed December 4, 1917. Serial No. 205,354.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PIOTR WoLAx, a citizen of Poland, resident of Shelton, county of F airiield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inv Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in stretchers and particularly to types of the portable variety and has as its principal object the provision of means whereby a wounded or sick person may be conveyed by another in a safe and convenient manner.

A further object is to provide means whereby the party carried is held in a sitting'position, the stretcher being supported by the carrier in such manner as to leave the limbs free for use as desired.

A still further object is to provide means whereby an elastic element is introduced in the carrying frame, affording comfort to the party carried and to the carrier as well.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a material part of this speciiication, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a vertical stretcher made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The stretcher is composed of two main sustaining elements 10, of cylindrical cross section, each containing a central bore 11, at their upper ends. Transverse slots 12 are formed through these ends, in the bored openings of which are slidably contained the upper elements or rods 14, of the carrying frames held by means of tension springs 15, attached respectively to the bottoms of the rods 14 and to the extreme lower ends of the openings 11. Other tensional springs 16 are attached to eyes 17, afiixed in opposite sides of the rods 14, the other ends of the springs engaging with similar eyes 18, secured to the cylindrical elements 10 within the slots 12.

At the extreme top of the rods 14 are inserted rigid eyes 20, in which are secured the ends of straps 21 and 22, the former being adjustable over the shoulders of the carrier and secured by buckles 28, at the ends of the straps 22, and in order to hold the structure more securely to the body of the wearer, a belt like strap 25, is secured to the rods 14, the ends being engaged by a buckle 26, around the waist of the wearer, so as to hold the structure firmly engaged.

Nearl the bottom of the'cylindrical 'frame bars 10, is Vsecured a rigid curved band 28, to which is attached a cross-bar 29, having at its center a horizontal strip 3() engaged at its outer upturned edge with the band 2S, the arrangement being such as to leave openings 32 through which the lower limbs or' the party carried may project, the bar 29 acting in the manner of a seat. In order to prevent the person carried from falling forward, a pair of straps 34, areY engaged with the upper end of the cylindrical bars 10 and provided with an engaging buckle 36, the same passing around the waist of the party carried, holding him in a sub` stantially upright position.

From the foregoing it will'be seen that a. Y

safe and eiectivedevice has been disclosed for the purpose of carrying wounded or injured persons, and that the same is adapted to pass over the shoulders and waist of the carrier in such manner that both the upper 1. In a device for transporting invalids,

the combination with a 4pair of rigid bars having an axial bore extending into one end thereof and rods slidably engaged in the mentioned bores, of a plurality of springs disposed between said rods and bars whereby they are held in resilient engagement, straps secured to the ends of said rods, adapted to pass over the shoulders of a carrier, an adjustable belt attached to said rods engageable with the waist of a carrier, a. rigid supporting means secured at the lower ends of said bars, receptive of the person carried, and an adjustable band. b v means of which the person carried may be held in a substantially vertical position.

2. In a device for carrying invalids, the combination with a pair of cylindrical bars having an axial bore at one end and a. transverse recess extending through said bore, of means for supporting a person at the lower ends of said bars, means by which a person may he held in an upright positiom rods engageable in the mentioned bores, shoulder straps secured to the upper ends of said rods, said shoulder straps having means of adjustment, a partial belt engaged with said rods and mea-ns for adjusting said belt to the body of the Carrier, springs having one of their ends aflixed at the lower end of said rods and their other ends at the bottom of said axial bores, and springs engaged between said rods and bars within the mentioned recessesJ so as to form a resilient connection therebetween.

In testimony whereof I have alixed my signature.

v PIOTR VQLAK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

